Early try set the tone in Dublin – Jones

Setting the tone for the afternoon was Jamie George’s long line-out throw straight to Manu Tuilagi which enabled the Leicester centre to bulldoze forward as the prelude to Jonny May’s early try.

“It was a brilliant start for us, things fell into place,” Jones said.

“We’d practised a little special play because we wanted to just upset them psychologically.

“Sometimes if you can do something at the start of the game they think ‘well, that wasn’t supposed to happen’. It can have a greater effect and it got us on to the front foot.”

Joe Schmidt has warned Ireland to heed the World Cup “reality check” of the comprehensive loss.

“That is a reality check about the physicality that will be required to be successful in this World Cup year,” said Schmidt.

“England collectively delivered a simmering physical intensity. It was a suffocating place to be out there. It’s a challenge to all our confidence.”

Schmidt admitted Ireland were outmuscled in the same way as during their last home defeat, the 21-9 loss to New Zealand in November 2016.

“It was very difficult to contain their forward momentum,” said Schmidt. “It’s something that happened two years ago against the All Blacks. We got bullied here two years ago, and it happened again. You’ve got to be prepared to give as good as you get, and we didn’t do that tonight.”